'Mr. Saturday Night' to close on Broadway in September

Billy Crystal stars in the musical adaptation of his 1992 film.

Live from New York, it's Mr. Saturday Night — but only for seven more weeks. The Billy Crystal-led musical will play its final Broadway performance on September 4.

Mr. Saturday Night is based on Crystal's 1992 movie of the same name, which he directed, co-wrote, and starred in. On Broadway, he reprises his lead role of Buddy Young, Jr., a comedian who damaged his relationships with his family as his career slid from its peak. He gets one more chance in fame late in life, and a chance to make amends.

Crystal also co-wrote the musical's book with his original co-screenwriters, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. Jason Robert Brown and Amanda Green wrote new music and lyrics, respectively. At the 2022 Tony Awards, Crystal, Ganz, and Lowell were nominated for Best Book of a Musical, and Brown and Green were nominated for Best Score.

Mr. Saturday Night received three additional nominations: Best Musical, Best Leading Actor in a Musical (for Crystal), and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (for Shoshana Bean as Buddy's daughter, Susan).

The show has been playing at the Nederlander Theatre since March 29. The New York Theatre Guide review of Mr. Saturday Night reads, "Crystal carries lots of goodwill and knows his way around Broadway... Buddy spends a good deal of the time doing stand-up, so that part of the role is squarely in Crystal's comfort zone."